


Flowers For Mustang

by Soul_in_Armour



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, Post-Promised Day, i'm not sure if i should tag it royai or not since it's not focused around romace, rated for language, seriously it has one single swear word
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28229736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soul_in_Armour/pseuds/Soul_in_Armour
Summary: Roy receives a bouquet from Olivier Armstrong. However, it might not be a show of love or affection.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Flowers For Mustang

**Author's Note:**

> A filler while I work on a longer fic. The flower meanings are from The Farmer's Almanac.

“Sir! _Sir!_ ” 

Roy warily raised his head, rubbing his eyes. He shoved the paperwork he had fallen asleep on to the side, and straightened himself so he looked plausibly formal. “Lieutenant? What is it?” 

Riza sighed, and shook her head. “So, you finally decided to wake up. I’ve been trying to get your attention for much longer than I should have.”

Instead of replying, Roy studied the lieutenant. “What are you hiding behind your back?”

“The reason I came here, sir. It’s a delivery from Major General Armstrong.”

“...Why are you hiding it? Lieutenant?”

Riza revealed Olivier’s delivery, holding it out for him to see clearly.

A colourful bouquet of flowers.

A heavy silence settled over the pair. Wordlessly, Roy took the bouquet from her hand. He cracked a grin, turning it over to see the note attached. 

_“In return for the hyacinths”_ was written in neat, cursive handwriting. 

“It seems I’ve finally melted the general’s frozen heart,” he said. “I knew she’d warm up to me eventually.”

Riza raised an eyebrow and frowned, an expression Roy had seen many times. “Come on, don’t give me that look!” he insisted. “I have plenty of time to enjoy the gift, these papers aren’t due until… until…”

“This _evening_ ,” Riza finished, arching her eyebrow even more. 

“That’s _still_ plenty of time!” he retorted, turning his attention to the bouquet.

As he took in the flowers, a sudden sinking feeling came over him. His shoulders slouching, Roy slowly lifted his gaze to meet Riza’s.

“What’s the matter, sir? You have the same expression that you have when it’s raining,” she said, furrowing her brow.

“Right, let me explain. This pink flower is called an anemone, it symbolises fragility. It’s bundled together with a couple of amaryllis, which means pride. So, with a bit of inferring, together they mean…”

“...Fragile ego,” Riza finished. A gleam came to her eyes. “What do the rest mean?”

With a heavy sigh, Roy continued. “So, iris means this bouquet is sending a message. This is basil, it means hate. These yellow carnations mean disdain and disappointment, and these peonies are associated with love and friendship, but…”

“But?”

“They were probably put in there with the traditional meaning. Anger.

“And the last ones are tansy. Hostile thoughts and declaration of war.” Roy slumped and rested his head on his desk, making a sound not unlike a kicked puppy. 

Riza tidied the paperwork and placed it in front of Roy, creating a stack that towered above him. “Thank you for explaining, colonel. I actually spoke with the general yesterday. She was very busy spending time with her mother, who I recall is quite good with flower language. She did say she was preparing something she wanted me to deliver to East City HQ,” she said. “Now I see why,” she added with the slightest smile.

“So you two were working together? You’re so cold,” he replied, gathering himself and leaning back on his chair. “I can’t believe she went through all that just to say ‘fuck you’ in flower.”


End file.
